1. Field of the Invention
High Pressure Hydraulic Testing Packer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past it has been common practice to test a string of collar connected tubular members by longitudinally moving a hydraulic testing unit to a desired position therein. Such a unit has two longitudinally spaced packers thereon that cooperate with the interior surface of the tubular members adjacent thereto to define an elongate confined space into which high pressure water may be discharged to hydraulically test the portion of the tubular members between the pair of packers.
During the past few years, tubular members have begun to be supplied for oil field use that have flat ring-shaped end surfaces and externally threaded end portions. When the tubular members are connected end-to-end by collars that engage the threaded end portions, the two adjoining ring-shaped end surfaces within each collar are longitudinally spaced a substantial distance. In hydraulically testing a string of collar connected tubular members by a testing unit having a pair of prior art resilient packers thereon it has been found that end portions of the packers tend to become hung up on one of the end surfaces as the testing unit is moved longitudinally through the string of tubular members. Such a hang up occurs from a radially compressed portion of the packer expanding outwards as it traverses the longitudinal space between a pair of the flat ring shaped end surfaces.
A major object of the invention is to provide a resilient packer for use on a high pressure hydraulic testing unit that while having a portion thereof that is radially compressed and slidably and sealingly engages the interior surface of the tubular member in which it is disposed is free of the operational disadvantage of becoming hung up on an end surface of a tubular member as the packer traverses the longitudinal distance between two of such end surfaces.